MemoriesElizabeth
by MonicaKateBingCastle
Summary: The ER staff remember a lost friend a year later
1. Default Chapter

This story takes place a year in the future. It contains moments from all 8 seasons of ER.   
  
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Critchon, and NBC  
  
Members of the ER staff remember a lost friend 1 year later.   
  
  
Chapter 1:Elizabeth  
  
  
Elizabeth Corday yawned as she sat up in bed. It was the start of a new day. A day that would be hard for her and the rest of the ER. It had been a year today since she had lost Mark. She lightly touched his side of the bed it had remained empty for a year except for the times Ella and Rachel would end up in her bed . Ella was 2 now and Rachel was almost 16. They both looked like their father. She sighed sadly as she climbed out of bed. She glanced at the few pictures that sat on her dresser. There was also a photo album siting on the dresser. Elizabeth picked it up and sat back down on the bed.   
  
She opened the album. She smiled. There was a picture of her and Mark singing Piano man. Next to the picture was one with her, Mark, David, and Isabelle. That night had been Valentine's Day the night Lucy and Carter had been stabbed. She had felt terribly guilty over Lucy's death for months. She had promised her she'd get her through it and she hadn't. She was thankful to have Mark he had helped her through that difficult time. She flipped to another page and there was a picture of her and Mark doing the Tango. Someone at the wedding had snapped it. Mark had gotten a copy and surprised her with it a few days later.   
  
Tears filled her eyes as she glided her finger over Mark's face. She remembered the first time she had met Mark. It was her first day at County and there was some sort of film crew there filming the doctors and nurses as they worked in the ER. He had a bruise on his face and his arm in a sling. She found out later from Carol that Mark had been attacked in the men's room. She found herself drawn to him but she ended up dating Peter. It was soon after their break up that she started to see Mark. She fell in love with him that day as they danced the Tango.  
  
Elizabeth flipped the page again. The pictures she saw next made her laugh a little. They were pictures from their camping trip in Wisconsin. In one picture she held a wild flower bouquet. That bouquet had caused trouble. She had picked poison ivy that caused her to get a rash on her hands. She had unknowingly given it to Mark on a very sensitive part of his body. Elizabeth smiled as she remembered that day. Mark had been so embarrassed when Haleh walked in as she was giving him a shot.  
  
Elizabeth continued to go through the pages. She stopped on a picture of her and Mark standing in front of their new house. It was a balmy fall day and Carter and Peter were helping them move in. Mark asked Carter to snap a picture of him and his fiancée in front of their new house. A few tears filled Elizabeth's eyes as she remembered finding her beautiful engagement ring in the freezer. "Elizabeth I love you, I was hoping you'd give me the honor and privilege of being your husband" Those words played through Elizabeth's mind.   
  
She wiped a tear from her cheek as she turned the page. There was a picture of Elizabeth her stomach starting to poke out under her scrub top. Mark was standing next to her smiling his hand sat on her belly. She thought about the day she found out she was pregnant. She had gotten sick during a trauma. She was stunned when Jing Mei told her she was pregnant. When she got home she found Mark sitting in the kitchen. "Mark I have something to tell you" "Well I know its not exactly the best time but....what the hell! I'm pregnant" echoed in her head.  
  
Elizabeth turned the page again. He picture she saw brought tears to her eyes. It was taken in New York in front of the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center. They were in New York so Mark could have surgery to remove a tumor in his brain. The picture right next to it was taken the day Mark was discharged. She and Mark were standing next to Dr. Burke the surgeon who had saved Mark's life. More tears spilled from her eyes. Mark had gone back to Dr. Burke when the tumor returned but surgery wouldn't save him this time.   
  
Elizabeth reached for a tissue sitting on the nightstand. She turned the page once again. She smiled at the photos before her. They were of her and Mark's wedding. She remembered sitting in the church with her parents waiting for Mark. He was running late and she had been more frightened than she let on. "I do fret, When he's late I fret, every time he slurs a word or bumps his head I fret I'm afraid not of being with him but of being with out him, I'm afraid he won't be around to raise this child" She was relieved when Robert popped his head in to tell her Mark was on his way. The wedding went on as planned and her and Mark were married.   
  
She turned the page again. A picture of Mark holding Ella on the day she was born sat under the protective film. Thoughts of the night they almost lost Ella came to her mind. She regretted all the nights she spent in a hotel away from Mark. She missed out on time with him and she regretted it. She remembered the day she found out about his tumor returning. Susan gave her the hints she needed to figure it out. She had been devastated. It was also that day that Ella uttered her first word "Dada" She returned to Mark that night she returned to find him sick on the bathroom floor. She held him tight never wanting to let him go.  
  
In the weeks to come he told her he didn't want to continue his treatment. "Do it for me, do it for Ella, do it for Rachel" she had pleaded with him. He told her he didn't want to live what life he had left in a hospital bed hooked up to IVs and machines he wanted to die the way he lived. That had been his last day in the ER. It wasn't long after that that Mark got sicker. Then one warm spring day he passed on quietly in Elizabeth's arms.  
  
Elizabeth turned to the last page of the album. It was photo of her Mark ,Rachel and Ella. It was the last photo ever taken of Mark. It was taken just weeks before he died. Carter had been the photographer. He had come to the house to see Mark as did many of his friends did near the end. Mark asked him if he'd mind taking one last picture of him with his family. Carter had tears in his eyes as he agreed snapping the final photo Mark would ever be in. She was crying now as she kissed her finger and glided it over Mark's smiling face.  
  
Elizabeth head soft footsteps. She looked up to see Rachel standing there holding Ella's hand. "Elizabeth" she whispered. "Can we come in" She nodded patting the bed next to her. Rachel saw that she was crying "Are you okay" she asked. Elizabeth nodded "I'm fine I was just looking at photos of your father" She looked at Rachel and Ella. She never really lost Mark he lived on in her heart and in his two beautiful daughters. She smiled and flipped the pages back to the beginning and shared the photos with her daughter and stepdaughter.   
  
Chapter 2:Carter.....Coming Soon!! 


	2. Chapter 2:Carter

This story takes place a year in the future. It contains moments from all 8 seasons of ER.   
  
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Critchon, and NBC  
  
Members of the ER staff remember a lost friend 1 year later.   
  
  
Chapter 2:Carter  
  
Carter ran his hand through his short dark hair as he walked toward the lounge. He slumped down on the couch. He was having a rough day. He was working a double shift in the ER but that wasn't even the roughest part. A year ago today he lost another close friend. He sighed as he leaned back on the couch. It had been a year but it still played in his mind like it was yesterday. Mark had taken his daughter Rachel to Hawaii. Their trip was cut short when Mark got sick. Just two days later Elizabeth called to tell him Mark had passed away. He had been in the lounge when he got the news. He just stood there letting his cell phone fall to the ground. It was at that moment that Kerry walked into the lounge. She asked him what was wrong. "Mark...he's ...he's gone" he had whispered. Her blue eyes filled with tears as she reached out to him They held on to each other and cried together. He went out to the admit desk with Kerry as she broke the news to everyone. There was alot of hugging and crying that day and many days after that.  
  
  
Carter sighed sadly. He had lost several friends in the past but he missed Mark most of all. He had been there for him since his first day at County General. He got sick during his first trauma. He was embarrassed and afraid of looking bad in the eyes of his new resident Peter Benton. He ran outside. Mark followed him. He told Mark he was too afraid to go back inside and face Peter. He still remembered Mark's words. There's two kinds of doctors, those who get rid of their feeling, and those who keep them" "If you're going to keep your feelings you're going to get sick from time to time" He even told him that he had gone to medical school with Peter and he got sick all the time.   
  
He remembered one night during his last year of med. School. He and Mark were among the few stuck in the ER which was flooded with patients. One patient had been a little boy. His brother had fed him some button batteries. Mark took the metal detector from the security guard and handed it to him. It worked he was able to locate the batteries. Mark amazed Carter that night. He worked the graveyard shift two nights in a roll and drove to Milwaukee and back but there he was keeping the ER running smoothly.   
  
Carter reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out his stethoscope. It had been Mark's. Elizabeth gave it to him after Mark's funeral telling him Mark wanted him to have it. He sighed sadly as he thought about his first day as a doctor it had been the 4th of July and while everyone else was at a softball game Carter was stuck covering the ER and the surgical floor. He had been exhausted. He ended up outside leaning on a garbage can. Mark came out with some sparkles left behind by a patient. He lit them and handed one to him. An ambulance pulled up as his pager started beeping. Mark got up and told him to get some more air that he would handle it. "How much longer you got" he had asked "2 hours" he had replied Mark smiled "You're gonna make it" he said as he headed back into the ER. Mark had been right he made it.   
  
Carter thought of another friend he had lost Dennis Gant. He felt guilty over Dennis's death believing it was a suicide. A homeless man brought his friend in and while Carter was trying to help him the guy kept screaming "I wasn't a very good friend" it had hit Carter hard because that's how he felt that he hadn't been a good friend to Dennis and now he was dead. He ran from the room. Mark told Kerry to take over and he followed him out to the ambulance bay. "I couldn't help Dennis" Carter had said his eyes beginning to water. "You don't know that you could have" Mark had told him. He still felt guilty "I know I wasn't much of a friend" he had replied before going back inside. Carter never told Mark how much he had really helped that day and now he wished he had.  
  
Carter glanced around the empty lounge in here was where several of his friends confronted him about his drug addiction. Mark had been one of them. "There's a rehab center in Atlanta that specializes in doctors with addictions, my van is parked outside ready to take you to the airport" Mark told him. He even said if he didn't go he was fired. He had been furious balling up his lab coat and tossing it at Mark. He bolted from the room. Peter had been the one to actually get him to go to Atlanta but Mark still had a part in saving his life.   
  
It was due to a random blood draw that Carter found out about Mark's tumor. Mark was going over the results with him when he fell on the floor over come by a seizure. He dived to the floor to help his fallen friend. Once Mark came to he bolted from the room. He later found Mark shooting hoops. "Want to tell me what's going on" he asked Mark. "Not particularly" he responded. Carter reminded him "I was your doctor" Mark finally revealed he was suffering from a brain tumor. He had been stunned by the news. Weeks later Mark flew to New York for surgery.  
  
The surgery was successful and everything seemed fine until Ella was rushed to the ER. Mark started to show signs of a reoccurrence. The tumor had indeed returned. He got upset with Susan when he found out she had spent the night with Mark but when he learned the reason why he felt like a jerk. "I just finished my first round of kemo Kerry" Mark had blurted out when he wanted to leave early. He and Gallant were standing next to Kerry looking almost as stunned as she was.   
  
A month later Mark spent his last day in the ER. Carter had seen Mark slip and fall banging his head on the trauma room floor while he was working on a junkie. He wanted to help Mark but he knew he had to care for the patient first. He was sitting at the admit desk as Mark was leaving. He went over the board with him" "Is anybody sick" he had said Mark replied with "Just the doctor". He walked out with him. They shot a few hoops and then Mark started to walk way from the ER for the last time. "You set the tone Carter" he said as he walked away. He stood there until Mark was out of sight. He saw Mark a few times after that visiting him at his house. Each time Mark looked a little paler, a little thinner but he was still the same caring compassionate man he had always been.  
  
Carter placed the stethoscope around his neck. He headed back toward the ER. He paused in front of the locker that had held Mark's belonging for 8 years. He smiled. Mark was his friend and in many ways his mentor too. He may no longer be here in body but he was definitely here in spirit. Carter left the lounge and headed back to work knowing Mark would always be there in his memories and his spirit would always be part of the ER.   
  
Chapter 3:Rachel.............Coming Soon!! 


	3. Chapter 3:Rachel

This story takes place a year in the future. It contains moments from all 8 seasons of ER.   
  
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Critchon, and NBC  
  
Members of the ER staff remember a lost friend 1 year later.   
  
  
  
Chapter 3:Rachel  
  
  
Rachel climbed the stairs and opened the door. She walked into the quite house. School had been tough for her today. During lunch while all the kids around her hung out with their friends talking and laughing she sat alone. She lost her father a year ago today. She sighed as she made her way to the kitchen. She found a note from Elizabeth . She was working and would be home later. She grabbed a can of soda and went out to the deck. She sat down and looked around. Her dad had loved sitting out here on the deck.   
  
When she was little she didn't get to see her dad very much because he worked alot of hours in the ER. She got to see more of him when her mom got a job in Milwaukee. She remembered the first time she went to work with her dad. She had seen Dr. Benton trying to save the life of a teenage boy. "Did he make the boy better" she asked her daddy. He told her that Dr. Benton tried to make the boy better but he died. That had upset Rachel. She asked "If I got sick would you fix me" and he told her he'd do anything to make her better.  
  
Not long after that her mom and dad got divorced. She hated it she wanted them to get back together but it never happened. She liked visiting her dad but he was usually busy in the ER. She told her teacher she was suffering from Leukemia and wasn't expected to live. Her teacher told Mark and he took her back to work with him. He took her to the lounge and told her to do her math homework. "Will you help me daddy" she asked him "I have to go help sick people" he told her. "You always help sick people" she pouted. He knelt down by her. "You don't have to be sick for me to love you, I love you more than anything the world you know that don't you" she nodded her head. He kissed the top of her head and returned to work.   
  
Rachel wiped a single tear from her cheek. Her and her dad had always been close. When her mother married Craig he was always trying to out do Mark. She remembered the Christmas Craig had brought her two Labrador puppies. Her dad had showed up with a little mixed dog. Her dad called him Nick. "Daddy you brought me a doggie" she said. He told her Nick was his dog and he wanted her to meet him. She may have been little but she knew he was suppose to be for her.   
  
She had been a brownie when she was little. One time Mark was suppose to talk to her troop but he went in to work instead. She had been disappointed but just when she thought her father was going to let her down. He surprised her and her troop with a filed trip to the ER. He showed her and her friends many cool things like how to shock a patient and what blood cells looked like under a microscope. He was her hero that day and every day.  
  
Rachel took a small sip of her soda. She thought about the first time she met Elizabeth. Her dad took her and her grandpa over to Elizabeth's for Thanksgiving. She asked her dad a ton of questions about Elizabeth. "Is she pretty" Mark nodded "Yes she's pretty." She still asked more questions "Prettier than Cynthia" Mark smiled "She's a different kind of pretty" "She's pretty okay" Just then Elizabeth opened the door. Mark looked at Rachel "See I told you" Her dad had been right Elizabeth was pretty.   
  
She wiped a few more tears from her cheeks. Her grandpa died of cancer too. It had been hard on her dad. Shortly after he died Mark took her to her grandpa's favorite spot on the lakefront. He fastened a string of pearls that had been her grandma's around her neck "You look beautiful" he told her "Thank you" she whispered back. He hugged her and said "Promise me you won't grow up too fast" "Okay" she said as she put her head on her dad's shoulder.  
  
After that things changed she ran away from home and ended up in Chicago. She moved in with Mark and Elizabeth. She had been terrible to Elizabeth and she fought with her dad. She was being a terrible daughter and a terrible person. She'll never forget that day in February. Elizabeth was real sick with the flu so she volunteered to watch Ella. She had Ella in her room and she found the ecstasy in her backpack. Later on in the hospital she saw Kerry helping Ella. Her dad came out to her. "She's okay right" she asked him. He held the door open "Does she look okay" he asked. She tried to lie he way out of it but it didn't work. "You leave drugs lying around where a baby can get them" She was terrified "I...I wasn't even sure I was gonna take them." Mark was so angry and upset. "Yeah well your sister did" "Ella is nine months old! She could have brain damage, learning disabilities! She could still die!" All she could say over and over again was "I'm sorry" It was her fault that Elizabeth moved into a hotel and missed out on some time with her dad.   
  
She remembered the night Elizabeth came home. Her dad had been upstairs. She could here him getting sick over and over again. Rachel had been surprised when Elizabeth asked if she wanted to take Ella. As Elizabeth walked up the stairs Rachel asked "He's sick again isn't he" Elizabeth didn't answer but the sadness and fear in her face was all the answer she needed. Once Elizabeth and disappeared up the stairs she cuddled her baby sister as tears filled her eyes.  
  
A couple months later she went to Hawaii with her dad. He told her stories of the part of his childhood he spent there. Their trip was cut short when he got sick. A few days later she came home from school to find Elizabeth sitting at the kitchen table. When Elizabeth looked at her she knew her dad was gone. She let her backpack fall to the floor as she raced over to her. Elizabeth held her arms out to her. She fell into them and they stayed that way hugging each other as they cried together.   
  
After her dad's death she thought she'd have to leave the one place that made her feel close to her dad. She was surprised when her mom showed up. Her job was taking her out of the country for 2 years and of course her mom was going her career was always important to her. She asked Elizabeth if she could continue to stay here. Much to Rachel's surprise she smiled and said she'd love to have her stay. She and Elizabeth had become good friends and she finally realized why her dad had loved her so much.  
  
Rachel heard a noise inside the house. She saw Elizabeth standing at the stove cooking something. She got up walked into the house and over to Elizabeth. "Hi" she said softly. Elizabeth turned toward Rachel "Hi honey you okay" she asked upon seeing the tears in the girl's eyes. Rachel smiled "Yeah I'm okay I was just thinking about daddy" Elizabeth sighed sadly. "It must be really hard for you with your mom being so far away" Rachel smiled "Not really because I sort of have a mom here too" Elizabeth looked at her a bit confused. "I have you" she said as she hugged her. "I love you Elizabeth" A few tears rolled down Elizabeth's cheeks as she whispered "I love you too honey" and nether one knew that that the other said silently "I love you Mark" "I love you daddy." "We miss you"  
  
Chapter 4:Susan...............Coming soon!!! 


	4. Chapter 4:Susan

This story takes place a year in the future. It contains moments from all 8 seasons of ER.   
  
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Critchon, and NBC  
  
Members of the ER staff remember a lost friend 1 year later.   
  
  
Chapter 4:Susan  
  
  
Susan sighed sadly as she exited the trauma room discarding her gloves and gown in the trash. She made her way outside of the ambulance bay. She leaned heavily against the brick wall. Today had been a terrible day. She had tried to save a 5 year old boy who had been the victim of a hit and run but she was unsuccessful. She really wished she had someone to talk to. She knew she had Carter, Abby and many other friends she could talk to but the one friend she wanted her bestfriend Mark was gone. She lost her bestfriend a year ago today. She lightly touched the silver locket that hung around her neck. Mark gave it to her just days before he died. Inside was his picture and a message. "I'll never forget you"  
  
  
She closed her eyes. She had always loved Mark but she never acted on it. She had been with Div and Mark had been married to Jen. Mark had been her bestfriend. She talked to him about everything from her sister Chloe to her troubles with Div. She remembered a time when she had clashed with Dr. Kayson over the treatment of a heart patient but then Dr. Kayson had a heart attack and Susan saved his life. He came to see her on Valentine's Day he thanked her and invited her to dinner. She quickly told him she had plans with Mark. She later told Mark what she told Kayson. He in turn said "Do you want to do something" "You wouldn't want Kayson to think you were lying" They had went ice skating.   
  
  
Susan sighed as she pushed her hair out of her face. She thought about the time she and Mark planned a birthday party for Doug at her apartment. Doug later canceled the party. She and Mark ended up drinking Tequilas all night. They had gotten a bit tipsy. They talked about the rumor of them having an affair. They shared a lingering gaze. Susan had been the one to break that gaze. She hid her feeling by burying them with another drink.   
  
Susan felt her eyes beginning to tear up. She remembered being at Navy Pier with her blind date when she ran into Mark with his own blind date. When their dates left to get drinks Mark grabbed her hand and they made a quick getaway. She laughed as he pulled her along. They ended up in a little picture booth. They took several silly pictures before taking a serious one. Mark put his arm around her as they smiled. Having his arm around her had felt so right. She still had that picture tucked safely in her wallet and sometimes when no one else was around she'd pull it out and look at Mark's smiling face.  
  
It wasn't too long after that she decided to move to Phoenix so she could be near Chloe and Lil Susie. Her last day at County had been memorable. It was the day Lydia and Al tied the knot right there in the ER. During the ceremony she and Mark kept stealing glances at one another. Susan had caught Lydia's bridal bouquet.   
  
Later Susan left for the train station. She was about to get on the train when she heard Mark's voice. "You came to say goodbye" she asked. Mark was trying to catch his breath as he said "No" "Stay. I want you to stay" He goes on to tell her he loves her and was stupid for not saying it sooner. "I knew. In a way I knew" He continued to try and get her to stay "We belong together" "Tell me you don't feel the same way" She told him. "Mark, you're my bestfriend" "I don't know how I'll make it with out you" Mark's eyes began to water as he told her "I don't want to lose you" They shared their first and only kiss as she boarded the train. "I'll never forget you" The train started to pull away as she said "I do love you". She waved "I love you" "Bye" she yelled as the train disappeared from the station.  
  
Susan wiped away the tears that now rolled down her cheeks. If only she had stayed she would have had more time with him. She didn't see Mark until 5 years later. Susan returned to Chicago. Her first day back she had lunch with Mark. He asked her why she came back. "After Chloe moved there was no reason to stay I not exactly desert girl ,I can't follow my sister's family forever" "I missed it here, I missed you" she told him. She kept staring at the scar across his head. "You could have called me" Mark smiled "and say what hi how are you, by the way I have a brain tumor" He ended up offering her a job at County.   
  
Later that day Mark told her he had a surprise for her. He dragged her to a supply closet. He opened a cardboard box and pulled out her old lab coat. "You saved this" she asked "Someone found it in the laundry room a few years ago I was gonna send it to you" She smiled "But its all mildewy" Mark smiled "I'll have it dry cleaned" "Come on what do you say "Low pay, long hours, frequent fliers" ":I already told Kerry it was a done deal" I put you down for Tuesday" Susan finally excepted his offer. She was glad to be home.   
  
Several months later she suspected that Mark's tumor may be reoccurring when he bit his tongue and he couldn't stick it out straight. He feared it had returned so he went back to New York to enlist Dr. Burke's help once again but there was nothing that could be done this time. When he returned to Chicago and told Susan it was back she persuaded him to tell Elizabeth but he wouldn't tell her. He got sick that night. Susan found him sitting outside alone and when he tried to get up he got dizzy. "That's it Mark either you let me take you home or I'll go rat you out to Weaver" He sighed and agreed to let her accompany him home.  
  
  
Susan sat down on the nearby bench. She thought about Mark's last day in the ER. He had been teaching anew intern Dr. Pratt. "I think he's a wash out" he had said about Mark. Carter told Pratt. "He's good doctor" Pratt still wasn't convinced "What's up with him" Susan had been standing near the computer. "A brain tumor" she replied Pratt looked at her "What" Susan was upset now. "That's what's up with him. He has an inoperable brain tumor in the frontal lobe" She managed to get it all out with out letting her tears fall. Later that day she watched him as he left the ER for the last time. She went to see him a few times after that and one of those times he presented her with the locket she now wore around her neck.   
  
  
Several weeks later she was getting ready for work when her phone rang. It was Elizabeth. "Susan it's Elizabeth, Mark....he...he passed away earlier this morning" she whispered. Susan gripped the phone in her hand as she slid down to the floor in sobs. He bestfriend the man she loved was gone.  
  
Susan looked down at the locket in her hand. She opened it and lightly touched Mark's photo with her finger tip. Tears ran down her cheeks as she whispers. "I'll never for get you" She looked up when she heard an ambulance in the distance. Abby and Jing Mei walked out. Abby noticed Susan. "Hey Susan we have a MVA coming in do you think you can lend a hand. Susan nodded "Sure" Abby noticed her tears. "You okay Susan" the nurse asked Susan smiled "I'm fine Abby I was just remembering an old friend" Abby just nodded she knew just who Susan was referring to. "I miss him too" she replied as they headed towards the incoming ambulance.   
  
Chapter 5:Carol............Coming Soon!!!!! 


	5. Chapter 5:Carol

This story takes place a year in the future. It contains moments from all 8 seasons of ER.   
  
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Critchon, and NBC  
  
Members of the ER staff remember a lost friend 1 year later.  
  
  
Chapter 5:Carol  
  
  
Carol Hathaway-Ross yawned as she entered her house after a long shift. She made her way upstairs to her bedroom. Doug was already in bed sleeping. She quietly slipped into her pajamas. She crossed the room and sat down on the window seat. She glanced up at the stars. It had been one year ago today that Mark passed away. She remembered the call she received from Elizabeth telling her of Mark's condition. Her and Doug had packed up the girls and caught the first plane to Chicago.   
  
She sighed. She wouldn't even be alive today if it wasn't for Mark. 9 years ago she attempted to take her own life but because Mark refused to give on her she survived. The day she returned to work was pretty hard for her but she remembered something Mark had told her that had helped her "You may have your doubts about being back, but none of us do" At the end of the day they had a welcome back party for her. She was glad she had been unsuccessful at taking her own life.  
  
Carol thought about the time all her nurses staged a sick out and she was left doing a bunch of things at once. She was treating a homeless man along with Kerry, Mark and Carter. When her and Kerry began to clean up after the trauma she discovered she had given the patient the wrong blood killing him. Mark had supported her telling her if she felt there was no reason to file an incident report he'd back her up. "Yeah but I'd still have to look at myself in the mirror everyday" she said as she left the trauma room. She had been suspended but she returned to work some time later.  
  
She looked over at Doug sleeping peacefully. She hadn't thought of Ricky Abbott in years but she thought of him tonight. He was Doug's patient and his father had accused him of killing Ricky. Doug left County General and her that night. Mark became her biggest support after Doug left. Just weeks after he left she found out she was pregnant. She had been in a trauma with Mark and Peter. She had hurt herself while bringing the tray of instruments over to them. She bolted from the room. Several minutes later she came back. "Mark I need your help" he followed her out to the hall. "you okay" he asked her. She looked at him. "I was cramping and now I'm spotting" "Is it time for your period" he asked her. "No Mark I'm pregnant" she told him. He did an ultrasound but was unable to find a heartbeat. He got her an appointment for a vaginal ultrasound and to her relief the baby was fine.  
  
Carol's eyes began to fill with tears. She remembered a few months later when she was suppose to have an ultrasound but Dr. McLucus had canceled. She had been trying to give herself an ultrasound when Mark and Elizabeth walked in. Elizabeth began to assist her. "Do you think its too soon to tell if its a girl or boy" she asked Mark. Mark smiled "Its never too soon to be inaccurate" "There's the heartbeat" Elizabeth announced. "Any turtle sack" she asked. "I'm looking" Elizabeth replied. Her eyes grew wide as she whispered "Mark" "Uh huh" he said. Carol began to worry. "What, Mark what" she asked "Heartbeat" he told her. "Yes Mark, Elizabeth already said that" she said. Elizabeth looked at her "What he means is there's another heartbeat" "Twins!" Carol said in shock.  
  
A few tears rolled down Carol's cheeks. She thought about the day her girls were born. Mark missed Tess's birth. Kerry delivered her in the ER. He arrived shortly after that. She was getting an epidural. Mark was holding her. In the middle of it she had a contraction. She remembered the pain. She leaned heavily on Mark. "It hurts " she told him. "I know" he whispered. "No Mark I mean it really hurts" she cried. The epidural worked well "I think I'm in love with the epidural man" was what she said. Her pain was gone and things were going great until the baby's heart beat went dangerously low. Abby examined her discovering she had a prolapsed cord. Carol became worried "Oh Mark don't let this happen" she said her eyes filling with tears. They wheeled her into the OR where Dr. Colburn delivered the baby by c section. Carol looked up at Mark. "Mark you gotta save the baby" she cried. "We will" he whispered "No promise me" she said. "I promise Mark replied.   
  
Later that day when she woke up in her room she saw Mark holding one of the girls. "What's her name, Tess needs to know what her little sister's name is" He asked. Carol didn't say anything. "So what's her name he asked. "You wanna name her" she asked. Mark was surprised. "Me" Carol nodded. "What was your mom's name." "Ruth" he told her but he didn't think she liked it too much. "Middle name Katherine" he suggested. She smiled "Kate! I like that!" Mark was called down to the ER to tend to his father. "Mark, thank you" she said as he was leaving. He turned and smiled "You did good mom"  
  
Carol was crying now she thought about the last time she saw Mark before finding out he was sick. It was her last day at County. She had treated a patient Sheila O'Brien. She had end stage cancer. She passed away and afterwards her husband thanked Carol for helping his wife telling her she was his soulmate. It was then that she realized that Doug was her soulmate and she still loved him. She had to find out if he still loved her. "Mark tell Kerry I won't be in tomorrow" "I'll call you from the plane. She flew to Seattle and her and Doug got married soon after that.  
  
She reached for a tissue. Her and Doug never made it to Mark and Elizabeth's wedding. Their flight was canceled due to a rain storm. She called them apologizing a thousand times but Mark and Elizabeth told her not to worry. She and Doug hadn't seen Mark or Elizabeth since Carol's sudden move to Seattle. When they flew to Chicago after learning of his illness it had been a bitter sweet reunion. Mark hadn't looked as bright and alive he had the last time they saw each other but he was still the same fun, loving , caring man he had always been. Carol hugged him letting her tears spill thanking him for everything he had done over the years for her and Doug. A few days later he was gone.   
  
The soft cries of a baby snapped Carol from her thoughts. She crossed the hall to the nursery. She looked down in the crib. A tiny baby laid there crying softly. She picked up the baby and gently rocked him. "Shh its okay Mark mommy's here sweeite" she whispered. She kissed the top of his head. Something Abby said stuck in her mind. "I wouldn't repeat this outside this room but, you owe your friend here for your future children" Carol sat down in the rocking chair next to the crib. She looked at the arrangement of photos sitting on the small dresser. She reached over and grabbed one. She looked at it. Mark and Elizabeth smiled up at her. Tears filled her eyes again as she glided her finger over Mark's smiling face. "Thank you Mark" she whispered as she gazed down at her son laying peacefully in her arms.   
  
Chapter 6:Doug......Coming Soon!!!!! 


	6. Chapter6:Doug

This story takes place a year in the future. It contains moments from all 8 seasons of ER.   
  
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Critchon, and NBC  
  
Members of the ER staff remember a lost friend 1 year later.  
  
  
Chapter 6: Doug  
  
  
Doug had just finished giving the girls their dinner and they were now off playing in the playroom. He walked into the front room. He glanced over at the mantel above the fireplace. A photo caught his eyes. It was of him and Mark. They had been bestfriends. Doug still couldn't believe that Mark was gone. It had been a year ago today. He sighed sadly as he sat down on the couch. He started thinking about Mark.   
  
  
He remembered the time Labor and Delivery was flooded so the ER was swamped with pregnant women in active labor. He and Mark had delivered a 10 pound baby named Renee. She wasn't breathing. Doug saved the baby and the grateful parents had video taped the whole thing. Mark had hugged him playfully kissing his cheek. "I love this guy" he had said. He thought of another time when Kerry had a camera set up in the trauma room. Mark unknowingly shared his feelings about dating again. "Jen is the only woman I've ever slept with" Mark admitted to him. Later that day Kerry accidentally showed Mark's confession to the whole ER staff. Doug along with everyone else burst into laughter.  
  
  
Doug smiled a little. He remembered when he had gotten involved with is father's girlfriend Karen. She had been bad news. When she hurt her leg jogging he prescribed 10 percodan. The pharmacy called him apparently she changed the script from 10 to 100. He had a conversation with Mark that day. Mark told him Jen was remarrying. "I never liked her anyway" he tells him. "She's scheming, manipulative, and she has skinny legs" he tells him. "What are you doing looking at my wife's legs" Doug had smiled "I'm your buddy I'm not dead" Mark went on to tell Doug he should end things with Karen. "I probably should" he says "But you won't" Mark replies Doug smiled "She is cute" he told him. "She has great legs" Mark says. "What are you doing looking at my girlfriend's legs. He replied. "I'm your friend I'm not dead" Mark tells him.  
  
  
He thought about the time right after Susan left. Mark was impossible. He called a staff meeting to announce his new color system. Doug had mumbled something. "Is something wrong Doug" Mark asked "No just call me Mr. Blue" he laughed. Later that day as they were leaving Mark apologized for way he had acted. "I was a..." he started "a vicious, humorous, pain in the ass" Doug finished for him. Mark goes on to tell him that work wasn't fun anymore. Doug knew what he meant. "Its okay for you to miss her" he stated.  
  
  
Doug remembered a not so good time. He was headed for the men's room. When he opened the door he found Mark bloody and beaten. He along with Kerry and Anna got Mark off the floor on to a gurney. When Mark woke up he looked at Doug. "What happened" he asked Doug told him he was okay "I signed you up for extra shifts this weekend" he said jokingly.  
  
  
He sighed sadly. When his father was killed in a drunk driving accident Mark was there for him. He went down to Barstow, California with him. Doug hated his father for what he had done to his family. He and Mark went through the stuff in his father's room. Mark found a picture of Doug as a teenager and a picture of Ray with him and his mom. He remembered what Mark had said. "For a guy who didn't care he sure kept a lot of photos around" He sighed softly he remembered watching his dad's old home movies with Mark as they drank beer and wrestled.   
  
  
Doug knew he hadn't always been the best friend to Mark. He had done some things that had hurt him and gotten him in trouble. Mark had been the one to walk in and find him and Carol detoxing baby Josh. Mark had covered for him and he promised him it wouldn't happen again. Several months later he did do it again when he helped Joi Abbott with her son Ricky who was at the end stage of ALD. He hated to see the little boy in so much pain and suffering needlessly. With Carol's help he got a drug administering machine delivered to Joi's home. When Ricky died his father accused Doug of murdering his son. In the end it was the people he loved the most that got hurt most Carol and Mark. That night had been the last time he saw Mark until receiving Elizabeth's phone call. He and Carol had flown to Chicago immediately and spent some time with their bestfriend one last time. Just weeks after their visit Mark passed away.  
  
  
Doug heard a small voice. "Daddy are you okay" he looked up and saw his nearly 4 year old daughter Kate looking at him. He smiled "Daddy's fine sunshine" he said softly. He hugged her. "I miss you buddy" he whispered as he looked down at Mark's picture.  
  
  
Chapter 7:Kerry..........Coming Soon!!!! 


	7. Chapter 7:Kerry

This story takes place a year in the future. It contains moments from all 8 seasons of ER.   
  
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Critchon, and NBC  
  
Members of the ER staff remember a lost friend 1 year later.  
  
  
  
Chapter 7:Kerry  
  
  
  
Kerry leaned heavily on her crutch as she helped Malik and Luka load a patient in to the elevator. She watched the doors close as she walked away. She made her way to an empty exam room. As she passed admit she told Randi she was taking a break. She sat down on the gurney and rubbed her aching head. It had been a year ago today that Mark died. She knew that everyone though she was unaffected by it but that wasn't true at all. She had been affected by it. She missed Mark. She missed him more than she thought she would. She never admitted it to him but it was because of him that she was able to keep the ER running. It was because of him that she was able to be a good chief.  
  
  
  
Even thought they had their share of arguments and disagreements they kept the ER running together. She sat there thinking about some of those arguments she had with Mark. In the beginning alot of their arguments revolved around Susan and Doug. Its not that she disliked them she did like them although she'd never tell them that to their faces. They just didn't see things the way she did.   
  
  
  
She sighed most of the time they were at each others throats but they did have a few good moments in between. She smiled a little as she remembered dancing with Mark at the ER banquet. It was one of the few times she ever wore a dress. She had been self concise about it but she forgot about it as she danced in Mark's arms.  
  
  
Kerry started thinking about Gabe Lawrence. She had hired him to work in the ER but he soon showed signs of being ill. She went to see his former employer. Later she came to Mark. Heartbroken over what she found out. "Spellman suspects signs of early Alzheimer's" she told him. "You have to fire him" Mark told her. "No she wasn't sure" she replied. "His inability to cope with stress, wondering around the halls because he can't remember where he's going" he told her. "He's always been scattered" she said as her eyes started to fill with tears. "He could endanger the patients" he said. "Mark I don't know if I can do it" I...I mean I love him like a father" "I don't know if I could fire him" Mark had hugged her and told her they'd get more proof before she did anything. It had indeed been Alzheimer's and letting him go had been the hardest thing she ever had to do.  
  
  
Kerry removed her glasses letting them hang around her neck. She wiped away the few tears that filled her eyes. She thought about another time where her and Mark had do something that was hard for them. A couple months after Carter's stabbing Abby came to Mark and they both came to her. Abby stated that she had seen Carter inject fentanyl into his wrist. When the three of them confronted Carter about it he denied everything and stormed away. She looked at Mark. "He's lying Mark" she whispered. "I know" he replied. Later that day she discussed it with him further. "Mark how could we let this happen" "I mean he showed all the signs" She told him. "I know, I know" "but its Carter your mind just doesn't go there" he replied.  
She along with Mark, Jing Mei, Peter, and Dr. Anspaugh confronted Carter about his drug problem and when he stormed from the room she feared the worst for him. Everyone had left the room except for Mark. She had her back to him. He had walked over to her placing his hand on her shoulder. "It will be okay Kerry, Peter will get through to him" he told her. She had simply nodded she was sure if she said anything she'd start crying.  
  
  
She thought about how she found out Mark's tumor had returned. He told her he was leaving early. She told him his shift wasn't over. "I just had my first round of kemo Kerry" he blurted out. She stood there in shock watching him leave. Several weeks later he spent his last day in the ER. She was sitting in the lounge going over some charts when Mark walked in and went to his locker. "How many shifts can I put you down for next month" she asked. "Don't let your work become your life Kerry" he said as he closed his locker. "Live a little" he said as he headed out of the lounge for the last time. She went to see him once at his home as did many of the staff had. She didn't think she'd be wanted. She was surprised when Elizabeth greeted her with a smile and a brief hug. Mark had been glad to see her too. He told her he was glad they got to work together even though most of the time they were at each others throats they had been a good team and they had their moments. They had shared a brief hug. That was the last time she saw or spoke to him.  
  
  
A few weeks later he was gone. She found out from Carter. They cried together before going out to the admit desk to tell the rest of the ER. Kerry's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Gallant walked in "Dr. Weaver we have a MVA coming in and we" he paused when he noticed Kerry wiping away a few fallen tears . "Dr. Weaver are you alright" he asked softly. "I'm fine Gallant I was just thinking about" she stopped. "Dr. Greene" Gallant finished for her. Kerry could hear the sounds of the EMTs brining in patients. She stood up "Come on Gallant we better get back to work." Gallant nodded and walked out the door. "I miss you Mark" "This place isn't the same with out you" she whispered as she followed out the door.  
  
  
Chapter 8:Peter.....Coming Soon!!! 


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